The deadliest and most destructive fire in California’s history was finally brought totally under control by firefighters, more than two weeks after it erupted, authorities said on Sunday.
The deadliest and most destructive fire in California’s history was finally brought totally under control by firefighters, more than two weeks after it erupted, authorities said on Sunday.
The so-called Camp Fire, which broke out on November 8, is so far known to have killed 87 people although another 249 people remain unaccounted for. That figure has fallen sharply over the weekend, having stood at 474 on Friday.
“#CampFire… is now 100% contained,” Cal Fire, the state fire authority, said in a bulletin on Twitter.
Only 54 of the fatalities have been identified, according to the local sheriff’s office in Butte County, around three hours drive north of San Francisco.
A total of 153,336 acres were affected by the fire, with nearly 14,000 homes and hundreds of other structures destroyed.
A home is overshadowed by towering smoke plumes in Paradise, which was wiped off the map by the Camp Fire
Josh Edelson, AFP/File
Heavy downfalls that have soaked the firezone in the past days helped douse the remaining flames, but also made it more difficult for crews searching for bodies.
The Camp Fire was the second major blaze to hit California in recent weeks with a fire in the Malibu area near Los Angeles also killing three people.
